Jakarta. Many Indonesian young adults are spending millions of rupiahs to dress up as their favorite characters in a practice better known as “cosplay”.

The 2025 Anime Festival Asia Indonesia (AFAID) has brought countless pop culture fans -- particularly those who are fond of Japanese animation -- into the Jakarta Convention Center over the weekend. Some visitors went for a casual look, while others showed up in full body armor with colorful wigs and weapons to look like their favorite characters.

As expected, characters from the shonen series “One Piece” and “Chainsaw Man” were among the top cosplay choices. Retired hitman anime “Sakamoto Days”, which first aired early this year, had also gained popularity. And cosplaying is certainly not a cheap hobby, especially for those who wish to go the extra mile.

The Jakarta Globe spoke with several AFAID cosplayers -- all preferring to be called by their stage names. And some had spent almost double Jakarta’s minimum wage -- which now reaches Rp 5.4 million (around $332) -- to bring their characters to life. 

A staff-wielding monkey from the PS5 game “Black Myth: Wukong” immediately stood out in the crowd. He is Siegrish. The cosplayer donned a well-detailed gold armor set. It was clear from the get-go that this guy was not a penny-pincher when it comes to his hobby. 

“It took me 6 months to prepare. I hired someone to make the costume, so I didn’t make it myself. And I spent around Rp 15 million,” Siegrish said. 

Hiki, cosplaying as Denji from “Chainsaw Man”, caught attention for going above and beyond. His helmet had LED eyes. The 24-year-old even donned a bloodied shirt as if he had just gotten fresh out of battle. He also came equipped with fake chainsaws that actually moved like the real thing. They even made sounds like an actual chainsaw. Hiki revealed to the Globe that the entire outfit cost him Rp 3.6 million and 3 months of preparation.

Another participant dressed as the Straw Hat Pirates’ swordsman Roronoa Zoro strolled around the venue. The Zoro look-alike was actually Unizen. The 22-year-old Surabayan admitted to having bought his shirt at an online marketplace, but later had it tailored.

“I have been using this wig for two years. … The katanas are around Rp 200,000 each. So I think I spent up to Rp 1.5 million. It’s not that much, really,” Unizen said.

Fellow cosplayer Here Shin made sure that he looked like the assassin-turned-store-clerk Taro Sakamoto by putting on a yellow tee, green apron, as well as gray hair and a fake mustache. His Taro Sakamoto look had a price tag of around Rp 600,000. But his cosplay spending can go up to Rp 800,000 for other characters. Here, Shiki also commented on why cosplay had been growing in popularity among Indonesians.

“When the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country, people were forced to stay home. So many decided to watch anime to kill time and from there on, cosplaying has been gaining ground in Indonesia,” Here Shiki said.

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